Judgment No. 26789/2023 and the Determination of Penalty: Proportionality between Custodial and Financial Sanctions

The judgment No. 26789 of February 15, 2023, filed on June 21, 2023, issued by the Court of Cassation, provides an important interpretation regarding the determination of penalties. In particular, the ruling clarifies that there is no obligation of strict proportionality between custodial and financial penalties, an aspect that has significant consequences for the assessment of sanctions in an increasingly complex legal context.

The Regulatory Context and the Judgment

In the specific case, the defendant G. G. had been sentenced to combined penalties, including both a custodial and a financial sanction. However, the Court established that the quantification of the two types of penalties must occur independently. This position is supported by the consideration that the custodial penalty is equally afflictive for everyone, while the financial penalty must take into account the economic capacity of the individual.

Custodial and financial penalties provided jointly - Obligation of proportion between them - Exclusion - Reasons. In terms of penalty determination, there is no obligation of strict proportionality between the financial and custodial penalties, as jointly provided by the legislator, on the contrary, there is independence in their quantification, given that if the custodial penalty is equally afflictive for any individual, the financial penalty has a sanctioning effect proportional to the economic capacity of the recipient. (Conf.: No. 9361 of 1975, Rv. 130927-01).

The Implications of the Judgment

The Court's decision has several practical implications for criminal law. Among these we find:

  • Independence of penalties: The distinction between custodial and financial penalties allows for greater flexibility in managing sanctions, enabling judges to tailor punishments to specific individual circumstances.
  • Equity in sanction: The economic capacity of the convicted individual becomes a fundamental element in the quantification of the financial penalty, ensuring a fairer treatment.
  • Reflection on the function of the penalty: This approach invites reflection on the reeducational and deterrent function of sanctions, seeking a balance between affliction and justice.

Conclusions

Judgment No. 26789 of 2023 represents a significant step in Italian jurisprudence, emphasizing the importance of evaluating sanctions independently and contextually. In a legal system that increasingly seeks to respond to the demands of justice and proportionality, this judgment offers insights and practical applications that may influence future court decisions. It is essential that legal professionals and citizens understand these dynamics to ensure justice that is both afflictive and just.

Bianucci Law Firm